Hydrothermal vents: Explore a bizarre deep ocean habitat

As the Monterey Bay Aquarium prepares for the launch of the 2022 exhibit, "Into the Deep: Exploring Our Undiscovered Ocean," MBARI deep-sea biologist Shannon Johnson shares some of her favorite stories about hydrothermal vents and the life that thrives at these magnificent deep-sea habitats. Towering chimneys spew hot, mineral-laden water out of the deep seafloor. The astonishing communities that live on and around the vents have evolved to not only withstand but flourish in the extreme temperature and chemical conditions.
Colonies of giant tubeworms, Riftia pachyptila, have a symbiotic relationship with chemosynthetic microbes that convert methane and sulfides from the water into energy for the worms. Bizzare-looking zoarcid vent fish, Thermarces cerberus, live among the tubeworms, feeding on parasites off their tubes. Small Pompeii worms, Alvinella pompejana-the most heat-tolerant animals on the planet-extract minerals out of the scalding vent fluid.
Our ocean is the largest home for life on Earth. For more than three decades, MBARI researchers have been exploring the deep ocean with remotely operated vehicles, discovering fascinating ways that creatures have evolved to live in these harsh environments. Now, with more companies looking to extract resources from unique areas like hydrothermal vents, it is more important than ever to study the deep sea and the wonders it holds. There is much to learn in order to manage ocean resources wisely. If we are not careful, there is much to lose before we even know what may be lost.
Learn more about MBARI’s research and the incredible discoveries we've made as we explore the ocean at www.mbari.org.
Monterey Bay Aquarium video production team: Christy Chamberlain, Presley Adamson
Editor: Lou Laprocido
MBARI video production team: Kyra Schlining, Susan von Thun, Nancy Jacobsen Stout, Heidi Cullen
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[@ferds30]

Forget space, the ocean is where all the mysteries and cool stuff is at.

[@proximacentaur1654]

True say Viet Tang. True say.

[@imafkingbeastandrewtateise9563]

Europa and enceladus: am I a joke to you

[@Totalinternalreflection]

Fun fact, the ocean is in space...

[@elliot_rat]

the ocean is practically its own alien world

[@pjmvdbroek]

There are oceans in space too.

[@Bugside]

What usually lacks in underwater footage is a sense of scale, am I looking at giant worms 3 meters long, or spaghetti size, you know?

[@ThePfiffel]

That's what the scaling lasers are for! The two red dots are not visible in every shot, but as far as I know they are 29 cm apart on this ROV (but don't quote me on this).

[@iantaggart3064]

You're looking at a giant worm EIGHT meters long.

[@isopodslug6365]

She said four foot tall worms

[@pavel9652]

@@ThePfiffel I didn't even notice them before, thanks! ;)

[@MrGS53]

This format allows information to be palatable to those having a shorter attention span or time restrictive schedules. I’ve learned a lot. Thank you.

[@scottydu81]

Nothing sounds as pleasant to my ears than when people say “spee-sees” instead of “spee-shees”

[@proffesserm6008]

I love it when they give the species name..it really helps so I can illustrate the species later ..👌❤️🙏

[@flowdane5139]

0:52 it's like water flowing underwater

[@TzadikTheManic]

As always a truly wondrous delight of a video ~ as informative as it is enriching for the soul, and thoughtfully created! Everyone on the team seems so nice, you are such a likable bunch :) Also, I appreciate your content even more than I can express as it’s a true “coping mechanism” for me - I have debilitating depression/anxiety/ocd that is considered “treatment-resistant” & your passion for the ocean gives me a brief period of distraction/joy, where I can swim though ephemeral - away from my hell. Thank you!!!

[@courtney2419]

I love that I live so close to the aquarium, its by being next to living history.

[@braedynhoward3644]

This and the deep sea coral reefs show that the deep ocean isn't just wasteland. THERE"S SO MUCH MORE TO EXPLORE!

[@Dantalliumsolarium]

I wonder what its like for these creatures to suddenly experience light when these research crafts come in. Thank you so much for sharing this, my heart is just in awe

[@KingKirkio]

The fact that the guy who found the titanic also discovered these vents is amazing!

[@maciejwojcik1609]

Thanks

[@kittykush8388]

I love it here ❤️ it’s wholesome and educational

[@graemebrumfitt6668]

SO cool thanks for sharing! GB :)

[@elguapo42]

I love all these videos MBARI should be shown in elementary schools imo

[@bowenli7257]

Amazing！！！

[@Malkovith2]

Please keep doing what you're doing

[@WildBillCox13]

All the secrets of the origins-and survival-of life on Earth are here. Forget panspermia and cold chemistry. Here's where it all starts!

[@Jordan-vr7ip]

Absolutely agree, this is where complex chemistry happens for life to be possible. What’s even more exciting is that Europa and Enceladus show activity for hydrothermal vents, life that survives on chemosynthesis and not photosynthesis dramatically broadens the spectrum of where we can find life elsewhere in the universe! Exciting news and times ahead!

[@taaptee]

this is so iconic of her

[@rockysanthosh1205]

I am a big fan of this channel keep rocking....

[@rei9060]

Fuzzy wuzzy stuffed animals? They look like nightmare creatures from the depths of hell.

[@Capt_McNugget]

And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh

[@VenomousMe]

incredibly beautiful- puts us in our place. we came from the ocean -and we know nothing about our birth place. thank you

[@StevenSchoolAlchemy]

Interesting stuff

[@hellohellogoodbye9327]

My curiosity takes me here.. 😌

[@Ozone-academy]

Amazing 🤔

[@727Phoenix]

Sometimes I imagine what the overall ecology of the deep ocean would be like if the hydrothermal vent bacteria produced oxygen from their chemosynthesis. Life on the ocean floor would certainly be much livelier than it is now!

[@darkranger116]

Pompeii worms cha-cha real smooth

[@joedennehy386]

I am pretty certain this environment is the source of life on earth

[@kanagasenthilraja7652]

She is very lucky to see such places. Keep Going.

[@mylet2658]

I wonder how many planets we think life isn't there but is

[@sdk1991zzang]

Does anyone know how hot it is down there and also how those animals dont burn

[@ess7276]

Indeed it's the hearts that are blind not the eyes

[@DarkNight-fj5cc]

0:52 What is that?????? It looks like an underwater "upside down" pool!!

[@mushroomstewOvO]

this is not the "vent" I meant.

[@klubmusix3848]

now we know tubeworm turn salamander

[@saigonmonopoly1105]

crab tube worm and lizard amphibian not yet have legs and tenticals bodypart attached together

[@ndimuafrica]

0:28

[@nutmeg0144]

3:06 mm yes, fuzzy wuzzy

[@saigonmonopoly1105]

more than just simple energy group mass feeding

[@Tobikoyum7]

I can't even imagine the damage that trawling would do to ecosystems like this. I hope they do away with it as soon as possible to preserve these one of a kind worlds of wonder that are so fragile in our oceans.

[@owenthomas2147]

These ecosystems are far too deep to be affected by trawling, even the deepest kind. For reference deep sea hydrothermal vents are found at depths of 2500-3000 m whereas trawlers only go down as far as 200m

[@Tobikoyum7]

@@owenthomas2147Thank you for clarifying. It's good to know that they can't be accidentally wiped out by trawling. Hopefully they won't begin to go deeper in the future.

[@Tobikoyum7]

@@owenthomas2147 Wait- after looking online I'm seeing information that states some trawlers are doing up to 4000m. Maybe in general most trawling is done at shallower depths.

[@jakelavaclaw2759]

@@Tobikoyum7 maybe by like a several million dollar research boat but the trawlers that do damage, cant go nearly that deep

[@kavalogue]

@@Tobikoyum7 it must be hard to walk around and have the world as your enemy. In other words. It's easier to comment on something when you know what your talking about,- so don't

[@Richard-kz1ee]

Oh my God, I feel so proud to be a marine scientist. The wonder of God.

[@klubmusix3848]

crab n mantis shrimp

[@Mattan777]

If you turn of the sound its a quite nice video, at least the time the cameraman can hold the camera still.

[@Scudmaster11]

Let's make a city by a HTV for a power source

[@JS-pk8gv]

Hydrothermal WHATS!?

[@euricequeen842]

Is it bad that i kinda wanna know how these deep sea creatures taste? Im so hungry and curious.

[@scottydu81]

Probably very fibrous, like the inside cavity of the labster

[@marc-anthonycharles8959]

I’m also guessing very very fresh and fishy due to high high sulfur that comes out these vents. Honestly probably horrible lol.

[@abean5222]

Forbidden spaghetti?

[@pirateninja5735]

I came here from subnautica to see if they were real.

[@klubmusix3848]

these are crab air filter

[@klubmusix3848]

salamander crab shrimp all white

[@AQ-uc4bb]

God made the world perfect., take people to discover it.. we have it all, Praise God.

[@TrevenantNights]

Looks disgusting 😂

[@gagescreationssoaps]

fortnite lol

[@joegagnon2268]

You need bounce

[@saigonmonopoly1105]

another type of combine body part living together conjoin mass sexual dna exchange

[@rich4244]

so no one has made a comment in 2 years. How boring youtube.

[@rremmy72]

Great video footage but I can do without Johnson's false assertions that "there's nowhere else in the world like this". That's crap, we didnt know about these places 40 years ago, think about what we havent discovered yet.

[@Capt_McNugget]

If you combine religious beliefs such as Christianity and Buddism this is literally reincarnation hell. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh